The Republican journal., 1887-09-29
Life Among the Mexicans,
CELEBRATING TIE NATIONS BIRTHDAY.
STORY OF THE CURE, MIGUEL HIDALGO Y
COSTELLO, AND HIS CELEBRATED "GRITO
DE DOLORES"

CELEBRATING TIE NATIONS BIRTHDAY.
STORY OF THE CURE, MIGUEL HIDALGO y
COSTELLO, AND HIS CELEBRATED "GRITO
DE DOLORES"
Correspondence of the journal.
MENiCo, Sept. 1887. Bells are ringing. can
non booming. and great doings going on all
over the country, in the annual celebration of
National independence. Though in matters
of business, MeXcans are slower than Father
Time as pictured in the primer, acting always
upon the revised axiom, "Neyer do to-day
what can be put off until to-morrow''-thcy
celebrate with heart and soul, regardless of
expense. Agreeing with the ancient worthy
who remarked that Time was made for slaves,
these proud descendants fthe Monczumas care
little how old Tcmpus may proceed with his
fugiNng, and make life pretty much holiday.
All their .destas are long ones, and, naturally,
this most important Of tha ycar-Septcmbcr
10th. the nations natai-ay-l:lst> not less than
a week and is celebrated with the greatest
enthusiasm.
In universal rejoicing over their liberation
from the clutch of Spain, McXican> do not
commemorate the day Of the declaration Of indie
pcndencc. As do we OF the Older Kcpublie, but
that on which the first open attempt was made
throw of the yoke of the opprc>sor. Their
George Washington.
THE CURE. ilInALGo,
in Whose honor al The bells of Mexico are
cltinorin~ together, has long been ciuoniZed.
Though executed like crimna! only seventy
seven years ago. he j. to-day regarded as
nlari,r. and the sun in all his course sees not Il
more halloWcd spot than the little church of
Dolores wherein his rebciliou> "Grto' (cry)
was raised.
Without dipping deeply into history. brief
summary of the important events of that
stormy time will enable us to enjoy this tumul-
tuous jubilee with the spirit and the Under
Stantling." The story of the carly .iztncs,
which is ut once 4 poem ahd tragedy. is
familiar TO all, for Prescott and other hi>tori-
ans have set forth in vivid coIors their .Acadian
life. virtue. simplicity and lofty sense of honor.
Then came the sreedy spai'iards. Gin l5l9),
with their velvet banners which were
appropriately embIazoned a blood-rcd crucitiN
i'll The midst of blue and white flames. and be-
meath il the motto In Latin. "Lct us follow the
Gross, and il iaI sign we shall con1ucr.'
Throughout their long career Of rapine and
murder. the cru>a,iing adyenturcrs were faith
fui in their devotion to the motto,-ful to the
Woaa' ring anl innocent natives. GoTicz aiiu
tie eqiially infamous Pedro e .tlyara,Io. Offer
cd the alternative of the Cross or the sword.
and gave them both, during three centuries Of
the most diahoicai atrocities ever pcrpctratcd
in the name OF religion.
At the beginning Of the Nineteenth century
most abnormal state OF society existed in
Mexico. The Spaniards-conparatv few
in numbers but all powerful in wealth and in
llucncc-fuled the country with an iron hand.
Ihc native McXicans, though in the vast
majority. hati been 50 weakened by centuries
Of scifdol1. superstition and tyranny. hclp plcss
and hopeless, that only in deep canonS of the
mountains, or i'll silent depths of the forest
where the cleaning bayonet Of the soldiers or
the keen scent Of the blood-hound> which had
1.Tn, f,ui, Mt
from their masters. dared Liberty to secretly
whisper her principles. The only bond between
the proud lbcrian and the degraded American
faces was found in
los CKIoILAS,"
the mixed descendants of the conuuerorS and
the conquercd.- for however much the lallgli-
ty >cions OF CASTLE de>pised the sons of McXi-
60. they had found his daughters Irresistible.
During the three hundred years of Spanish
occupation. these CriollaS had grown to great
numerical proportions. They retained all the
fire and ambition of their sreS. and had in
heritc'i as well the unfaiimg memory. watcll-
ful patience. suspicious alcltnesS. and un,lyiag
love Of liberty peculiar to the Indian race. As
rule tnay We're well educated. and being
prGju'iicel. both by birth and tradition, against
agricultural pursuits. (Nhch indeed. offered
no Inducements in Mexico. since Spain would
inevitably seize their profits). most of the ri>
in" race of men embraced the clerical. medical.
even closer contact and sympathy with the
oppressed people of their mothers blood. for
whom to break the Shacklcs of tyranny became
the ruling passion.
With unac:ountable blindness. the Spaniards
Of those DAYS denied their descendants any
part in the administration OF the government.
They doubtless feared. (and not without rea-
>on.) that these sons Of Mexico would not lie
sufficiently pliable in the hands of Spanish
em>>arie> and too leneEt toward the race of
their Liother>. Regarding Mexico only as
source of revenue from which 10 grind the
last particle of gold, Spain considered 10
methods too severe in the accomplishment of
this object. and protected the natives as they
did the cattle. irrespective of their rights as
human beings. simply that they night produce
more cattle and more wealth.
Many Il covert council and many a midnight
meeting these Criollas held. to consider their
rights and the means of obtaining them.
Thwartei in every pcaceahe attempt to secure
the slightest show of justice. there remained
but TO demand it at the point Of the sword.
Many precious secrets pcriSheI with Hi leo
and his followers. but hundreds OF traditions
are still cXtant concerning those early heroes
Of Mexican Independence and the 'eternal
vigilance" which was TO them ''the price of
lii,crty,' or more frequently that of !: martyrs
crown. Every city in Mexico had its secret
societies. and sessions were nightly held to
quicken the spirit of freedom. that it was
impossible for the royal no>trilS to remain in
sensible Of the incense hurnin" upon Il thonS-
ana affairs.
Napoleon had overtllrown Carlos ". and
spain was dominated by the French. Know
ing well that liberty in any degree meant the
,eatli-kncll Of monarchy i'll Mexico, the new
ly-arriycd Ni"croy, Francisco Javier de Ncnt-
Gas, left no means untred to crush its deyotcc>.
BY this mistaken course spain divorced the
sympathy of the only class who could have
united the opposing elements in bonds of peace
TIE orpoHrUNE MOVEMENT
when to Mexico would be born a son whose
name should be Emanuel, the ,lcIivcrcr.
The expected offspring was provided for, with
the determination that when its birth should
hc hcra.eI. the child of Liberty would be de
Tended at any cost. All preparations for the
event had been lna'la, the guests invited, the
swa,lding clothes at hand-and from humble
cradle in San Juan de los Lagos it was ntend-
cG to send forth the cry of .'Detance to Spain
Independence for McNico." But trusted SER
wants betrayed the plan. Furious at the oppo-
>ion to his authority and fearful of the con.
sequences that must follow an uprising, AS
icrod sent oft his soldiers 10 >lay all the child
rcn in judea SO that the general destruction
might include the infant Christ-NencgaS ever
whclmed Mexico with his armies so that no
shelter might remain for the comm. child.
Hunted. prosecuted and distressed. Liberty
fled to the mountains, and there in the parish
church OF Dolores. in the State of Guanajlato,
the infant was prematurely born. with the
hounds of the King OH its track. Although there
was yet time to fly. and it was well known that
death would await the one in whose arms the
child of Liberty was found, there was not
wanting a godfather. Ii was Miguel IIalgo
of Costia the obscure priest of Dolores par
ish.
He was Il native of Guanajuato, born in the
village of Penjamo, in May, 1853. In his youth
he displayed such an aptitude for learning that
he was given a thorough course at the Semin-
ario de San Nicolas in NalIadolid, Michoacan.
At the age of twenty-five he was ordained
bachelor of theology. and later was appointed
Cure of Dolores with "fat living of $40, 900
per annum.
From the first he relegated his clerical duties
largely to rector and devoted himself to inn
proving the material welfare Of his parishion-
crs. He established industrial enterprises. and
personally conducted various experiments in
agriculture and practical industry. But this
was not in accordance with the policy of Spain,
and so, by royal order, his agricultural expert
Elents were all destroyed and manufacturing
enterprises nipped in the bud. From the first
he had been identified with the liberal move
ment, and these extreme measures tended to
increase his passionate enthusiasm. He deeply
loved literature, and in his library were found
works on art, science. philosophy and political
economy, including the French authors of the
day from whom he had imbibed ideas which
coud not fail to bring forth practical fruit.
There were also found many other books pro-
hibited by the church, which were afterwards
used against him as
CONCLUSIVE EVIDENCE OF Ills HEREsY.